New York City will soon have the authority to lower the speed limit to 20 miles per hour on most streets in the five boroughs, following an agreement in the state budget deal in Albany. The change, part of the budget agreement, allows the City Council to pass legislation lowering the current default speed limit of 25 miles per hour on nearly all of the city's streets, excluding some of the busiest ones.
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal, who sponsors the bill along with Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal, confirmed the measure is set for passage as part of the budget. However, the change wouldn't apply to streets with three or more lanes of traffic heading in one direction.
The bill, known as "Sammy's Law," is named in memory of Sammy Cohen Eckstein, a 12-year-old Brooklyn boy who was killed by a speeding driver near his home in 2013. His mother, Amy Cohen, led a group of grieving parents who spent years pushing for the law.
According to Transportation Alternatives, more than 100 children have been killed by vehicles since 2013, making the speed limit change a significant step towards improving safety on the city's streets.
The City Council and Mayor Eric Adams will still need to sign off on the change, but the measure is seen as a positive step towards reducing traffic-related fatalities and improving safety for all New Yorkers.
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